Do anti-scale devices ACTUALLY work?

[Brigadier]

Just add a bit of white vinegar, 1 part to a couple of parts water to the kettle, and boil it.

Gets rid of scale beautifully.

 

[JohnD]

if you like your tea to taste of vinegar

Or you can buy citric acid or other descaling products.

 

[flameport]

Two choices:
1 Ion exchange water softener which removes the scale forming ions from the water. Available for the whole house, also built in to dishwashers.
Requires significant amounts of salt for periodic regeneration. Also wastes non-trivial amounts of water when regenerating.

2 Phosphate dosing device which adds a tiny amount of chemical to prevent scale forming. Combimate for the whole house, or substances such as Calgon to shove in a washing machine.
Requires smaller amounts of chemicals but they are vastly more expensive than salt. Doesn't waste any water.

Everything else is total BS. Only works for people who have paid a large wedge for such devices and therefore have convinced themselves it must work to avoid looking like a fool who has had their money easily removed.

 

[polesapart]

^^^

My view exactly.

 

[Mister Banks]

Two choices:
1 Ion exchange water softener which removes the scale forming ions from the water. Available for the whole house, also built in to dishwashers.
Requires significant amounts of salt for periodic regeneration. Also wastes non-trivial amounts of water when regenerating.

2 Phosphate dosing device which adds a tiny amount of chemical to prevent scale forming. Combimate for the whole house, or substances such as Calgon to shove in a washing machine.
Requires smaller amounts of chemicals but they are vastly more expensive than salt. Doesn't waste any water.

Everything else is total BS. Only works for people who have paid a large wedge for such devices and therefore have convinced themselves it must work to avoid looking like a fool who has had their money easily removed.

What do you consider to be a "significant amount of salt" and a "non-trivial amount of water"? Modern water softeners use very little of either these days (according to their specifications).

 

[Mike13]

I thought it was proven that you can encourage the lime to drop out as aragonite instead of calcite, and the resultant slush is too soft to stick well

 

[flameport]

What do you consider to be a "significant amount of salt" and a "non-trivial amount of water"?

Depends on the actual device used and the water hardness, but for a 2-3 person household it will be in the realms of 100+kg of salt and several thousand litres of water every year.

 

[Bod ...]

Exactly
Anyway softening isn't I think what the OP is asking about. I think he means the devices that fit on the pipe and are supposed to condition the water or dissolved salts in some way to prevent scaling. I don't believe there's any scientific basis for that.

The OP is asking for advice. There is no harm in mentioning WS's as it may be his answer.

 

[Bod ...]

I remember many years ago when i was a child my mother always had a stainless steel ball of mesh in the kettle. Seemed to work.

Cylinders have sacrificial anodes.

 

[fixitflav]

There is no harm in mentioning WS's as it may be his answer.

I didn't say there was!

 

[Bod ...]

I didn't say there was!

I was talking in general, it wasn't aimed at you or anyone.